-1-2 – Record for Jonathan Bernier this season when facing 4

There are likely two safe bets when it comes to the 2014 CFL Draft; offensive linemen will dominate the early selections, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will look to solidify one of their most glaring positional needs with the second-overall pick. According to the CFL Scouting Bureaus January rankings, four of the top five Canadian prospects line-up on the offensive side of the trenches, which is good news for Bombers general manager Kyle Walters. With only one selection in the first two rounds — Walters sent his second-round pick to Saskatchewan in the days ahead of the 2013 trade deadline — the No. 2 pick is an opportunity to grab one of three top O-line prospects who are expected to play professionally in Canada. The No. 1-rated athlete overall, offensive tackle Laurent Duvernay-Tardif out of McGill, is not attending this weekends CFL Combine in Toronto, opting instead to hold his own pro day in Montreal for both NFL and Canadian scouts. This leaves Laval University centre Pierre Lavertu as a very likely target for either the expansion Ottawa Redblacks who select first overall, or for the Blue Bombers. Lavertu would be an attractive choice for Winnipeg with the free agent departure of starting centre Justin Sorensen this past winter. "(I am a) centre, so it will help then if Im going to be a centre at the next level," said the 6-foot-3 300-pound All-Canadian. "But if I have to play guard or something like that, Im going to do it." Lavertu is both confident and aware of the two teams who may call his name on May 13. "I figure that will happen. Its going to be cool if Im drafted by one of those teams. I watch a lot of the websites of Winnipeg and Ottawa just to learn more about these teams." The offensive lineman that may have the most to prove during Combine weekend is 6-foot-4 294-pound Matthias Goossen out of the non-CIS school Simon Fraser. "I want to make sure that whatever I do here solidifies what Ive done in the season, and it can help show more athleticism — how I compare to guys in the CIS game, because obviously all these guys here I havent played against at all. So it would great to compare myself to these guys and sort of show myself and prove my worth, and obviously continue to make myself look better for the scouts." Goossen made a huge leap in the Bureaus rankings in just four months, moving from No. 15 up to No. 5 once more scouts and CFL team reps could see what he was capable of. The Combine is an opportunity for him to cement those assessments. "I think the biggest thing, like everybody knows, is the one-on-ones and showing how to compete and showing how I actually play because when it comes down to it, theres no bench press on the field." Goossen played every position on the offensive line over the past four years at SFU, but feels his body-type is an ideal fit for the centre position at the pro level. A third potential option for the Blue Bombers, if they desire an O-lineman with their first pick may not fill their vacant centre spot, but he is quite hard to ignore. David Foucault stands 6-foot-8 and weighs in at 320 pounds. "I played tackle last year, but two years ago I played guard. I can play on both sides — guard and tackle — left and right… If a coach asks me what do you prefer? I prefer tackle. But I just want to play football. If you put me at guard, I will play guard. I just want to play professional football, and thats why Im here." While the CFL Combine measures many things, the versatile 24-year-old out of Montreal University feels language may be the most critical area for him to work on. "Thats why I went to Florida for training because all the stuff (at the Combine) is in English. When I came to Florida my first week, I was very bad in my English. I need to practice every day… If a scout or a coach wants to do an interview in French I will say no, I need to practice my English." Another concern for the No. 3-ranked prospect could be his physicality, as Foucault may stand prominent, but he has been known to play smaller than his stature and lack finish when engaging defenders. "(Im looking most forward to) the one-on-ones because in the combine in Tampa (Florida) I did all the tests and some drills. Some mirror drills and O-line drills. But maybe the one-on-ones I need to do well in that (this weekend). For all my tests I need to be consistent or do better." *N.B. Winnipeg traded their 2014 second-round selection along with import defensive end Alex Hall to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in exchange for non-import offensive lineman Patrick Neufeld and a 2015 fourth-round selection. Dru Samia Youth Jersey . It all would have been for naught, however, had it not been for some clutch shooting in the fourth quarter by Kobe Bryant and a couple of equally critical hustle plays by Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol in the final minutes. Cris Carter Jersey .The rookie goalie made 36 saves to help the Calgary Flames blank their Pacific Division rivals 1-0 on Saturday following a 48-hour ordeal that included lost baggage, a cancelled flight and a new pair of contact lenses. http://www.thevikingsshoponline.com/Youth-Adam-Thielen-Vikings-Jersey/ . After Andrew Romine served up two monster home runs in the inning, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said he thought Romine was one of the bright spots on the night, showing just how bad the series opener against the last-place Minnesota Twins went for the Tigers. Dalvin Cook Jersey . According to TSN Edmonton reporter Ryan Rishaug, agent Rick Valette met with Oilers senior VP of hockey operations Scott Howson and general manager Craig MacTavish on Monday to kick off the talks. Chris Doleman Youth Jersey . With the win, the Marlies complete a three-game series sweep of the Admirals and move on to the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs. T.J. Brennan added an empty netter with less than 25 seconds remaining for his second of the playoffs.TORONTO – When Maple Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle first coached James van Riemsdyk last season, he was met initially with a hardheadedness that reminded him of someone very familiar. "Maybe I looked in the mirror," Carlyle said, chuckling as he walked off. Blossoming into something special for the Leafs, van Riemsdyk set a new career-high Tuesday night with his 41st point this season, also equaling a career mark with his 21st goal of the year, the game-winner in a 3-2 edging of the Lightning. All the 24-year-old desired when he was traded from Philadelphia to Toronto in the summer of 2012 was an opportunity to prove himself on a grander stage and, with that opportunity, he has most certainly flourished. In addition to goals and points, van Riemsdyk has also set new career-highs in power-play goals (8), shots (186), shorthanded goals (1) and power play points (14), already having matched a career-high in assists with 20 on the season – all this in just 53 games. He is also fetching nearly 21 minutes per game – by far the highest of a five-year career – teaming with Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak on whats become an offensively dominant top line. "That was the key for me is the opportunity," said van Riemsdyk, who feigned no surprise when he was traded for Luke Schenn in a long-rumoured deal on June 23, 2012. "I was always confident in myself as far I think I proved it in Philly. I showed when I had the opportunity to play a lot, play in those key situations, that I was able to be a productive player. Ive been able to get more of those opportunities since coming here. "For me personally, I think it was good to start somewhere else, go to a place where I was going to get a chance to show what I can do." Before being dealt, van Riemsdyk was maybe most known for a seven-goal explosion in the 2011 playoffs as a member of the Flyers, a foreshadowing in many ways of what was coming down the line. Last spring, during his first campaign with the Leafs, he offered another tantalizing glimpse of where his career might be headed in the very near future, a force with seven points during a memorable seven-game first round series with Boston. "I think JVR has picked up a lot of where he was in the playoffs last year," Carlyle said prior to Tuesdays game, which snapped a mini two-game slide for the Leafs. "He seemed to be able to take that next step. Hes more confident." "I just want to try to keep getting better and better every single year," van Riemsdyk said. "Ive been given an opportunity here to play in some key situations and play some big minutes. Im definitely happy about that." Five Points 1. More van Riemsdyk Carlyle indicated that van Riemsdyk often proved stubborn early in his Toronto tenure, but with time has grown more receptive to the prodding of the coaching staff. "He used to be a guy yeah, but [or] but if," Carlyle said of van Riemsdyks response to coaching. "But hes not that [anymore]. Now hes more receptive to [it] … Theres a difference between coaching and criticism. Sometimes they all become the same to players. Thats the difficult part is when to use it, when not to use it as a coach." It was only days into the 2013 campaign that Carlyle first publicly prodded van Riemsdyk. "Hes got to go into the dirty areas a little bit more and thats one of the things were going to ask of him," said Carlyle before an early season game against Pittsburgh. "Hes a big man, who can go to the front of the net. Hes got soft hands around the net. We want to see him drive that puck to that area..." Improvements in those areas have notably helped the New Jersey native blossom into an offensive force, specifically his willingness to camp out in the difficult areas around the net. 2. Shouldering a Heavy Burden With 40 stops on Tuesday, Jonathan Bernier improved to 7-1-2 this season when facing 40 or more shots this season, an impressive mark under the strain of a heavy workload. Bernier made a number of key saves throughout the evening, but none more brilliant than a stop on Martin St. Louis with just over three minutes to go in regulation. Sliding to his left, in rhythm with a Hedman cross-ice feed, the 25-year-old used his left pad to turn aside the surefire game-tying goal. "Great save, game-saving save," Kadri said. "We almost expect him to make those type of saves now because hes done it so often. Hes a great goaltender, uup with the best, and he definitely showed it there.dddddddddddd" 3. Kadri Brushes Off Speculation Nazem Kadri scored for the fifth and sixth time in the past four games against Ben Bishop, the NHLs save percentage leader and six-foot-seven Tampa netminder. The first saw the 23-year-old employ six-foot-six Lightning defender Victor Hedman as a screen in transition, the second a sure Highlight of the Night candidate that saw Kadri dance around Hedman before slipping a backhand beyond the grasp of Bishop. Boasting 35 points on the year, Kadri has quickly quieted trade speculation that always seems to bubble in Toronto. "Im just ignoring that," he said. "I dont think I use it as motivation or as a concern – it doesnt discourage me. I just try and focus on what I have to do and what I can bring to the team. I know I can help this team, its just a matter of when." "The thing about him is he doesnt let anything bother him," van Riemsdyk added of Kadri, who is up to 14 goals this season. "Its definitely impressive to see. I think hes probably used to it maybe growing up in the spotlight here." 4. Adjustments for Kadri Sliding out from a slump that lingered for the better part of a month, Kadri has now posted points in six of the past seven games. "Our request [for him] is to play more north-south versus east-west, specifically through the neutral ice," said Carlyle. "When hes not playing well you see him, he gets caught from behind on the back-side pressure. And when hes playing well, he seems to be able to create space in that area." Carlyle also observed that Kadri was playing more physically in recent weeks, adding that his acumen in the faceoff circle had improved. A real source of concern earlier in the year – he was amongst the worst in the league – Kadri has won just under 50 per cent in the past 10 games, victorious on 10 of 16 draws against the Lightning. 5. Gleason Effect Tim Gleason has been paired with Cody Franson for all but two of his 12 games with the Leafs and hes proven a stabilizing force in that span. "Hes a very solid, aggressive, and physical style player," Franson said of Gleason. "For me, hes very easy to read off of. I know hes going in there to try to be aggressive as the first guy. When you have guys like that where you dont have to think too much, it makes it easier. You can react quicker and it makes the plays a little easier to read." Franson, who leads the Toronto defence with 25 points, has benefited from the meat and potatoes style of the longtime Hurricane defender, similar in some ways to the effect Mark Fraser had on the 26-year-old last season. "Mark would always be aggressive trying to get hits and staple guys to the wall and allow our defensive zone coverage to take place," Franson said. "Gleas is the same way. He has a physical mindset and goes in there and tries to get people in tough positions to make plays and allow us to break out of the zone a little easier." Gleason battled through a difficult night against the Lightning. The 30-year-old blocked a shot in one uncomfortable area, received a pass in the face and was then hammered into the end-boards in the final two minutes by Teddy Purcell. He was forced to leave the game with a shoulder injury, one that Carlyle didnt believe to be serious. Stats Pack 10-5-2 – Leafs record against the Atlantic division. 7-1-2 – Record for Jonathan Bernier this season when facing 40 shots or more. 2 – Multi-goal games for Nazem Kadri this season. 41 – Points for James van Riemsdyk this season, a new career-high. 49.7% - Success rate for Kadri on the draw in the past 10 games. 7 – Phil Kessel shot attempts that were blocked by the Lightning. 75% - Leafs success rate on defensive zone faceoffs against Tampa. 21-6-3 – Leafs record this season when scoring first. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-3Season: 22% (4th) PK: 3-3Season: 77.1% (29th) Quote of the Night "They thought Ive been playing excellent over this last nine, 10-game stretch. Kudos to them for sticking with me. I know theyre a patient bunch as well and they understand what I can bring to the team. Ive been very coachable and theyve given me some great pointers that Ive listened to and just tried to get better." -Nazem Kadri on the patience of the Toronto coaching staff. Up Next The Leafs host the Panthers on Thursday night. ' ' '